Earthie ?

Last night as I curled into my sleeping position I had a picture of  the earth from a considerable enough distance that it's size and color resembled a blue marble. I know that isn't an original thought, give me a minute. That view had the psychological effect of putting an "ie" or a "y" on the end of a name. It seemed small and vulnerable and in need of caring, thoughtful attention. 

The next thing I thought of was an incubator: for chicks first, then for babies and then I thought for us. Suppose the earth is an incubator for life as we know it. Even a small amount of knowledge about the universe and a couple of episodes of Star Trek will tell you it's dangerous out there. If I were in charge of a vulnerable, beautiful, new life form, I would want to protect it until it was sufficiently capable of taking care of itself. If it was a vastly different life form from the myriad others I had produced, I would consider giving it an extra bit of protection and close observation would not be out of the question.

Then I thought, if I left the maintenance and development of the blue marble to this life form they would take care of it the way I had taken care of them by being vigilant of it's needs and relentless in it's protection and care.

So I slipped off to sleep feeling like I was special enough to be placed in an extra special location and set of environmental conditions to protect the unique form of life that I am, that we are. Then, I thought, what are we doing to our incubator and each other?

©Herb Ratliff, January 12, 2011, All Rights Reserved